Go public.... (Public Transport in general)

Member Name: cheesemonster

Product:	Public Transport in general
Date:	24/01/01 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Less stressful (in most cases!), can be cheaper than driving

Disadvantages: OK - I admit there are some problems, but they seem to be in the minority

I am sick fed up of people damning public transport - I am a regular user both of the bus and the train, and although admittedly I have experienced the occasional delay/hiccup, I would like to stick up for it. From the time I left home to go to university, I was reliant on public transport to get around. I used the train to go from Sheffield to Scotland to visit my parents - I don't recall any major problems. I used the buses around Sheffield - again very reliable, and cheap. After leaving uni, it was a year before I got a car, so once again I relied on buses and trains. Even now I have a car, I get the bus to work. Who in their right minds wants to get in the car 30 minutes before they need to, just to sit in a queue of traffic? Where I live, we are one minute's walk away from the bus stop, and there is a bus lane all the way into the town centre, meaning we bypass all the queues in the morning and evening. It's great!
With all the press the trains have been getting lately I would like to put a good word in for them too. I went from Swindon to London by train today for work, and it all ran like clockwork. The staff on First Great Western Trains and the London underground were all cheerful and very helpful, which made the journey even more pleasant. The only thing I would say is that the fare was quite high, but before the cost of public transport can come down, I think the cost of running a car has to go up considerably. To get people to use public transport requires cars to be all but priced off the roads, then once more people go public, the cost of public transport can start to come down. But sometimes when there are several people going to the same place together, it works out more economical to drive.
So give it a go - it's not as bad as everyone makes out, and it's a lot less stressful than driving in heavy traffic. Take time out for quiet reflection!

Summary: